Prime Minister Abe Shinzō responds to the execution of Gotō Kenji by the Islamic State, Javier Aguirre is fired as national coach of the men’s soccer team, and Nishikawa Kōya resigns as agriculture mi…

Japan's stock markets have had a difficult time recovering since the collapse of the bubble economy. Abenomics has produced an upward trajectory for share prices, but it is still unclear whether it wi…

The third Abe cabinet, formed after a landslide victory for the Liberal Democratic Party in the December 2014 election, has embarked on a wide range of economic policies. Over the short term, the key …

Hinamatsuri, or the doll festival, is observed on March 3 to celebrate female children and pray for their continued health and happiness. During the holiday, also known as momo no sekku (peach festiva…

The bentō is an intrinsic part of Japan’s culinary culture, ranging from simple, made-at-home meals to convenience store fare, and all the way up to haute cuisine produced by top chefs. These portable…

Professor Amano Hiroshi, one of the three winners of the 2014 Nobel Prize in Physics for the invention of efficient blue light-emitting diodes, spoke to a packed audience at the Foreign Press Center/J…

Over 13 million foreign tourists visited Japan in 2014, setting a new record. During their stay, these visitors spent a total of more than ¥2 trillion. The recent rise in the number of foreigners visi…

There has been an explosive increase in the number of think tanks around the world over the last few decades. Yet, although it still has some important bodies, Japan’s institutes are becoming less inf…

In what is seen by some as a landmark ruling for Japan’s LGBT community, the city government of Shibuya, Tokyo, last week outlined plans to issue same-sex couples with a certificate recognizing their …

On February 11, the Japanese author Sono Ayako penned an opinion piece in the daily Sankei Shimbun that began by urging Japan to open up its borders to immigrants who would work in the burgeoning nurs…

The number of international marriages in Japan rose rapidly in the 1980s and 1990s, peaking at over 40,000 in 2006. Since then, the number has been decreasing, and now averages around 20,000 per year.…

Prime Minister Abe’s commitment to fiscal retrenchment has come under question since his cabinet delayed a planned tax hike and approved the biggest budget in history. While the government claims to h…

Prime Minister Abe Shinzō responds to the execution of Gotō Kenji by the Islamic State, Javier Aguirre is fired as national coach of the men’s soccer team, and Nishikawa Kōya resigns as agriculture mi…

The third Abe cabinet, formed after a landslide victory for the Liberal Democratic Party in the December 2014 election, has embarked on a wide range of economic policies. Over the short term, the key …

There has been an explosive increase in the number of think tanks around the world over the last few decades. Yet, although it still has some important bodies, Japan’s institutes are becoming less inf…

In what is seen by some as a landmark ruling for Japan’s LGBT community, the city government of Shibuya, Tokyo, last week outlined plans to issue same-sex couples with a certificate recognizing their …

Raising Japan’s trend growth rate will require the steady implementation of growth strategies, the third arrow in the Abenomics quiver. But policies touted as growth strategies often serve only to pro…

The postwar Japanese “miracle” has lost much of its luster since the 1990s, when the economy fell into a protracted post-bubble slump. Okazaki Tetsuji offers a fresh historical perspective on the stru…

Okada Katsuya was elected the new leader of the Democratic Party of Japan in January. He now faces the daunting task of rebuilding the DPJ as a viable alternative to the Liberal Democratic Party. This…

In addition to being the seventieth anniversary of the end of World War II, 2015 marks the fiftieth anniversary of the normalization of ties between Japan and South Korea. The half century since 1965 …

Prime Minister Abe Shinzō visits the Middle East, mourners mark the twentieth anniversary of the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake, and the extremist group Islamic State kills two Japanese hostages. Thes…

The brief life of Yoshida Shōin (1830–59) was packed with incident, from an attempt to win passage to the United States on the ship of Commodore Matthew Perry to his execution at the age of 29 followi…

On December 17, 2014, Central Japan Railway Co. (JR Central) began construction of a revolutionary passenger railway system that achieves super-high speeds by using superconductors to levitate trains …

Prime Minister Abe Shinzō’s visit to the Middle East, which this week took him to Egypt, Jordan, Israel, and Palestine, was dramatically interrupted on January 20 by a terrorist incident targeting Jap…

“Soft power” receives much attention in Japan as a means to project national influence on the global stage. But does soft power truly impact other nations in the way that leaders expect it to? Politic…

In Taiwan’s November 2014 local elections, the ruling party suffered greater-than-expected losses, further weakening the position of President Ma Ying-jeou. Why did the Kuomintang fare so poorly, and …

Prime Minister Abe Shinzō responds to the execution of Gotō Kenji by the Islamic State, Javier Aguirre is fired as national coach of the men’s soccer team, and Nishikawa Kōya resigns as agriculture mi…

Japan's stock markets have had a difficult time recovering since the collapse of the bubble economy. Abenomics has produced an upward trajectory for share prices, but it is still unclear whether it wi…

The third Abe cabinet, formed after a landslide victory for the Liberal Democratic Party in the December 2014 election, has embarked on a wide range of economic policies. Over the short term, the key …

Over 13 million foreign tourists visited Japan in 2014, setting a new record. During their stay, these visitors spent a total of more than ¥2 trillion. The recent rise in the number of foreigners visi…

There has been an explosive increase in the number of think tanks around the world over the last few decades. Yet, although it still has some important bodies, Japan’s institutes are becoming less inf…

Prime Minister Abe’s commitment to fiscal retrenchment has come under question since his cabinet delayed a planned tax hike and approved the biggest budget in history. While the government claims to h…

Raising Japan’s trend growth rate will require the steady implementation of growth strategies, the third arrow in the Abenomics quiver. But policies touted as growth strategies often serve only to pro…

The postwar Japanese “miracle” has lost much of its luster since the 1990s, when the economy fell into a protracted post-bubble slump. Okazaki Tetsuji offers a fresh historical perspective on the stru…

Prime Minister Abe Shinzō visits the Middle East, mourners mark the twentieth anniversary of the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake, and the extremist group Islamic State kills two Japanese hostages. Thes…

A small island township of just 2,300 residents off the Shimane coast is often cited as a standout example of regional revival. How has Ama, once a depopulated hamlet facing bankruptcy, been able to r…

Television in Japan is at a crossroads as the rapid spread of smartphones and tablets has forced a move away from traditional broadcasting. With advertising revenue stagnant, television companies are …

Japan’s employment system is in the midst of a historic upheaval. In a society once famous for lifetime employment, permanent positions are becoming increasingly hard to come by, even as long-term lab…

Sony, NTT Docomo, and Nintendo are three of Japan’s best-known companies. But with all three struggling to come to terms with the lucrative smartphone market, the consolidated financial results for th…

Abe Shinzō is reelected as prime minister, Hayabusa 2 sets off on a mission to collect asteroid samples, and Toyota launches the world’s first mass-market fuel cell vehicle. An overview of the key new…

Prime Minister Abe Shinzō responds to the execution of Gotō Kenji by the Islamic State, Javier Aguirre is fired as national coach of the men’s soccer team, and Nishikawa Kōya resigns as agriculture mi…

Professor Amano Hiroshi, one of the three winners of the 2014 Nobel Prize in Physics for the invention of efficient blue light-emitting diodes, spoke to a packed audience at the Foreign Press Center/J…

Prime Minister Abe Shinzō visits the Middle East, mourners mark the twentieth anniversary of the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake, and the extremist group Islamic State kills two Japanese hostages. Thes…

Lingerie today is about more than just showing off a shapely figure. More and more women are looking for undergarments that also bring health benefits, such as improving posture. Japanese manufacturer…

Abe Shinzō is reelected as prime minister, Hayabusa 2 sets off on a mission to collect asteroid samples, and Toyota launches the world’s first mass-market fuel cell vehicle. An overview of the key new…

Average global temperatures have stabilized since the turn of the millennium, but this does not mean global warming has come to a halt. Latest geophysical research reveals that heat is being absorbed …

On December 3, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) successfully launched the Hayabusa 2 probe on a Japanese H-IIA rocket from the Tanegashima Space Center. Like its predecessor Hayabusa, the…

How can the wealth of clinical data being amassed at hospitals across Japan every day be effectively analyzed and harnessed to improve the quality of medical care and cut medical costs? Journalist Tsu…

Prime Minister Abe Shinzō calls a general election, the first meeting between Japanese and Chinese leaders for over two years takes place, and film star Takakura Ken passes away. These are the top new…

Three Japan-born researchers win the Nobel Prize in Physics, a Japanese journalist is indicted for defamation in Seoul, and two newly appointed female cabinet ministers resign. An overview of the key …

After a stagnant period, Japan’s robot industry is getting a second wind. One researcher at the forefront of R&D in this field is Shimizu Masaharu of the Chiba Institute of Technology. Here he shares …

On October 7, the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences announced the winners of the 2014 Nobel Prize in Physics. Sharing the prize were three Japan-born scientists: Distinguished Professor Akasaki Isamu …

Prime Minister Abe Shinzō responds to the execution of Gotō Kenji by the Islamic State, Javier Aguirre is fired as national coach of the men’s soccer team, and Nishikawa Kōya resigns as agriculture mi…

Hinamatsuri, or the doll festival, is observed on March 3 to celebrate female children and pray for their continued health and happiness. During the holiday, also known as momo no sekku (peach festiva…

Over 13 million foreign tourists visited Japan in 2014, setting a new record. During their stay, these visitors spent a total of more than ¥2 trillion. The recent rise in the number of foreigners visi…

In what is seen by some as a landmark ruling for Japan’s LGBT community, the city government of Shibuya, Tokyo, last week outlined plans to issue same-sex couples with a certificate recognizing their …

On February 11, the Japanese author Sono Ayako penned an opinion piece in the daily Sankei Shimbun that began by urging Japan to open up its borders to immigrants who would work in the burgeoning nurs…

The number of international marriages in Japan rose rapidly in the 1980s and 1990s, peaking at over 40,000 in 2006. Since then, the number has been decreasing, and now averages around 20,000 per year.…

Valentine’s Day in Japan has come to represent something rather different from established Western takes on the occasion. On February 14 and its sister celebration a month later, “White Day,” the thou…

With victory at the New Year Tournament in January 2015, Hakuhō reached a total of 33 career sumō championships to take sole possession of the all-time record for tournament wins. The Mongolian wrestl…

Japanese teenagers and young adults are remarkably content with their lives, in spite—or perhaps because—of the uncertain future they face. Sociologist Furuichi Noritoshi makes the case that the natio…

The postwar Japanese “miracle” has lost much of its luster since the 1990s, when the economy fell into a protracted post-bubble slump. Okazaki Tetsuji offers a fresh historical perspective on the stru…

Prime Minister Abe Shinzō visits the Middle East, mourners mark the twentieth anniversary of the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake, and the extremist group Islamic State kills two Japanese hostages. Thes…

Travelers landing at one of Japan’s regional hub airports have a wide variety of options for getting to destinations quickly, easily, and inexpensively. Below we provide access information to and from…

Lingerie today is about more than just showing off a shapely figure. More and more women are looking for undergarments that also bring health benefits, such as improving posture. Japanese manufacturer…

Prime Minister Abe Shinzō responds to the execution of Gotō Kenji by the Islamic State, Javier Aguirre is fired as national coach of the men’s soccer team, and Nishikawa Kōya resigns as agriculture mi…

Hinamatsuri, or the doll festival, is observed on March 3 to celebrate female children and pray for their continued health and happiness. During the holiday, also known as momo no sekku (peach festiva…

Over 13 million foreign tourists visited Japan in 2014, setting a new record. During their stay, these visitors spent a total of more than ¥2 trillion. The recent rise in the number of foreigners visi…

Valentine’s Day in Japan has come to represent something rather different from established Western takes on the occasion. On February 14 and its sister celebration a month later, “White Day,” the thou…

With victory at the New Year Tournament in January 2015, Hakuhō reached a total of 33 career sumō championships to take sole possession of the all-time record for tournament wins. The Mongolian wrestl…

The physicist Richard Feynman (1918–88), studying Japanese while in postwar Kyoto, rapidly ran into difficulties as his teacher tried to get him to learn three separate words for “see.” When inviting …

The International Snow Sculpture Contest is held every year at the Sapporo Snow Festival. This truly cosmopolitan event, in which teams from all over the world compete to produce the best snow sculptu…

Prime Minister Abe Shinzō visits the Middle East, mourners mark the twentieth anniversary of the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake, and the extremist group Islamic State kills two Japanese hostages. Thes…

The brief life of Yoshida Shōin (1830–59) was packed with incident, from an attempt to win passage to the United States on the ship of Commodore Matthew Perry to his execution at the age of 29 followi…

Every February 3 Japan observes Setsubun. Children and adults alike rid their classrooms and homes of malevolent spirits by gleefully flinging handfuls of roasted soybeans, known as fukumame, at class…

The majestic burgundy facade of Tokyo Station has been stirring hearts since 1914. The broad structure on the Marunouchi side of the station remains one of the best-known examples of brick architectur…

Prime Minister Abe Shinzō responds to the execution of Gotō Kenji by the Islamic State, Javier Aguirre is fired as national coach of the men’s soccer team, and Nishikawa Kōya resigns as agriculture mi…

The bentō is an intrinsic part of Japan’s culinary culture, ranging from simple, made-at-home meals to convenience store fare, and all the way up to haute cuisine produced by top chefs. These portable…

Over 13 million foreign tourists visited Japan in 2014, setting a new record. During their stay, these visitors spent a total of more than ¥2 trillion. The recent rise in the number of foreigners visi…

The physicist Richard Feynman (1918–88), studying Japanese while in postwar Kyoto, rapidly ran into difficulties as his teacher tried to get him to learn three separate words for “see.” When inviting …

Prime Minister Abe Shinzō visits the Middle East, mourners mark the twentieth anniversary of the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake, and the extremist group Islamic State kills two Japanese hostages. Thes…

Lingerie today is about more than just showing off a shapely figure. More and more women are looking for undergarments that also bring health benefits, such as improving posture. Japanese manufacturer…

Television in Japan is at a crossroads as the rapid spread of smartphones and tablets has forced a move away from traditional broadcasting. With advertising revenue stagnant, television companies are …

According to one 2010 survey, Japan is home to the world's highest density of cafes and restaurants, with one such establishment for every 216 citizens (as opposed to one per 547 in the United States)…

Abe Shinzō is reelected as prime minister, Hayabusa 2 sets off on a mission to collect asteroid samples, and Toyota launches the world’s first mass-market fuel cell vehicle. An overview of the key new…

Japan’s castles, mainly built by powerful regional leaders in the late sixteenth and early seventeenth century, are among the country’s top tourist attractions. In this collection, photographer Yamash…

December 31 is arguably one of the most significant dates on the Japanese calendar. Known as ōmisoka, it encompasses a range of special customs and observances, both traditional and modern, intended t…

All you need is hot water and a few seconds to turn a compact block of freeze-dried food into a savory dish of stew, curry, or risotto. The Japanese company Amano Foods has been at the forefront of fr…

The number of Japanese eels has been dropping steadily, leading to rising prices. Roswell Hosoki, creator of a manga series on eel cuisine, shares his thoughts on this problem, while also explaining m…